Niepoort 2009 Colheita

The wine has a pale garnet color with tiled reflections. The nose is delicious, with a jammy fruity side and subtle roasted notes. It expresses the aromas of dried red cherry, red cherry jam, prunes, dried purple fig, crushed dates, plum jam, as well as touches of coffee, toasted bitter almond, caramel, dark chocolate, clove, and a herbaceous hint of black tea and dried mint in the background. The palate is savoury and expressive. The attack offers the sweetness of plum jam, prune cream, blackcurrant jam, kirsched red cherry, of dried fig and crushed dates, combined with a fine oxidative touch (fresh nuts, caramel), notes of torrefaction and pronounced sweet spices (coffee, nutmeg, ground ginger), and with gourmet notes of praline from hazelnut. The finish is persistent, savoury, with red fruit jam, sweet spices and an oxidative notes of fresh nuts. We find a very subtle and almost imperceptible tannic touch on the finish, as well as a good level of acidity, which balances the sweetness and the warming sensation of alcohol.